Christina Applegate 'doesn't enjoy living', fears husband 'would be better off without her' amid MS fight
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Christina Applegate, now 52, was experiencing a career resurgence while filming the third season of her Netflix series, 'Dead to Me.'
The first season of 'Dead To Me' captivated 30 million viewers worldwide, earning high praise for its dark comedy, with Applegate reportedly earning $325,000 per episode.
The Emmy Award winner was abruptly interrupted by a shocking diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the summer of 2021, as DailyMail, reported.
To provide context, it is a debilitating disease that gradually disables the central nervous system, which Applegate has described as a living 'hell'.
Christina Applegate’s filming delayed due to intensive treatment for MS
Filming was delayed for five months as Applegate began treatment for MS. During her appearance in an interview last year, she revealed that her life on set soon was challenging and she avoids watching the show.
According to Los Angeles Times, she remarked, "I don't like seeing myself struggling." Her medications and increased inactivity led to a 40-pound weight gain, leaving her concerned that she "didn't look like [herself]" on screen.
She added, "I’m like, ‘Who is this person with 20 chins?’"
The diagnosis must have felt like a particularly cruel irony for Applegate who was named after Andrew Wyeth’s famous painting, Christina’s World, depicting a young disabled woman lying in a field.
Applegate finds it hard to explain the daily reality of her disease to people. However, she has been candid about sharing details of how her condition is progressing.
She has described how “it’s never a good day” (“you just have little sh***y days”), mentioned that she can no longer go downstairs unaided, struggles with showering herself, and often feels “very lonely.”
Christina Applegate finds herself in depression
In a poignant podcast appearance this week, Applegate opened up about battling severe depression, saying, “It’s kind of scaring me. I don’t enjoy living. I don’t enjoy things anymore.”
Applegate has a dedicated team of live-in carers at her Hollywood home and is supported by her loving husband of over ten years, Martyn LeNoble, a Dutch musician, with whom she shares their 13-year-old daughter, Sadie.
Despite LeNoble’s unwavering support, insiders reveal that Applegate privately fears “he would be better off without her.” She is concerned that her MS has “undoubtedly taken a toll” on their marriage, particularly affecting their sex life. “MS causes loss of sexual satisfaction, libido and other issues that are physical that she will not be able to overcome,” an insider explained.
However, sources insist that any concerns about her marriage are unfounded, emphasizing, “[LeNoble] loves her so incredibly much and there is nothing that would make him walk away from her or their family.”
Christina Applegate worries about her young daughter Sadie
Applegate is reportedly concerned about her young daughter. “She feels like Sadie is having to take care of her when it should be the other way around,” a source revealed.
“Christina is dealing the best she can, and she knows she is a huge role model and inspiration and has so many people who love and support her. It is just hard being the one who is stuck in this position – knowing that it will only get worse.”
Regarding her career, insiders have confirmed that Applegate has ‘given up on the idea’ of acting.
“'She is so thankful for the unbelievable opportunities she has had in her life but remorseful for those she will never have again,” they shared. One of the hardest parts for Christina is knowing that she will never truly be able to do what she loves anymore. [She feels] trapped in a body that is not able to do what her mind wants her to do.”
Christina Applegate’s acting career began in her childhood
Applegate was born in Hollywood in 1971 and she started her acting career as a baby. She appeared in television shows with her soap actress mother and did commercials at just three months old.
She grew up in the '90s, alongside actors like Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Drew Barrymore, Wynona Ryder, Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman, and Angelina Jolie, who were all on the verge of stardom.
In 1993, she was at the Viper Room nightclub the night River Phoenix overdosed on heroin and died. She also dated Brad Pitt in 1989 when he was still emerging as an actor.
Applegate was an original member of The Pussycat Dolls, a burlesque dance troupe, and performed with stars like Christina Aguilera and Carmen Electra. She left the group in 2003 after seven years to focus on acting.
Her big break came with a decade-long role on the hit sitcom 'Married… With Children,' playing Kelly Bundy, a promiscuous bleach-blonde character.
In 2002, she joined 'Friends,' and in 2004 she appeared in the first 'Anchorman' movie. She also starred in Tim Burton's 'Mars Attacks!' and 'The Sweetest Thing.'
Applegate turned down the role of Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde,' which launched Reese Witherspoon’s career. She later called this decision a “big f*****g mistake.”
After divorcing her first husband, actor Johnathon Schaech, in 2007, Applegate began dating LeNoble in 2009. They had their daughter in 2011 and married in 2013.
While focusing on motherhood, Applegate acted in movies like "'Bad Moms' and voiced several animated films. After filming 'Dead To Me' in 2021, she largely withdrew from public life to concentrate on her MS treatment.
In January of this year, Applegate received a standing ovation at the Emmys when she made a surprise appearance to present an award.
She became emotional before joking with the crowd, “You’re totally shaming me, with disability, by standing up!” She later said, “If I wasn’t laughing, I’d be crying all the time.”
Internet wishes Christina Applegate to have more ‘positive days’
After learning about Applegate's intensive MS treatment, many internet users have shared coping suggestions and expressed their condolences, as per DailyMail.
One said, “Join the club, bish. I've had chronic 24/7/365 serious chronic pain since 1993. Learn to cope!”
Another said, “I rarely care what goes on in celebrities’ lives. But I really like her. Having an incurable illness that destroys your body is unfathomable. God bless her.”
A third wrote, “God Bless You. Prayers for more positive days than bad ones.”
A fourth claimed, “Sadie would miss you terribly. Stay and fight!”
A last user said, “She is such a good actress with great comedic timing . I’m so sorry she is having to deal with this painful disease . She’s always has been beautiful and will always be.”
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
